Chuck the advise from jjwag69 is good. The Wipe-On Poly ils a water base and is thin to begin with and if you wipe it on you will not put too much on. If you let it dry for more than 4 hours I believe they tell you to lightly scuff it up with sandpaper or with scotch brite pad (brown). It dries fairly fast and by the time you reach the other side you can start all over again. If you put a few gloss finish coats first it will build up a nice resistant coat, and then go over with a satin to dull it down.
Rockdoc, try using a marine spar varnish and then paint it. The spar varnish is flexible and the paint should adhere just fine.
